By Paul Bianchina
If you have a two-story home, your stairs can be a lot more than just something to get you from one floor to the next. They can serve as one of the focal points for your living room or entryway, and can create one of your home's most important architectural features.
Many people don't put all that much thought into what the stairs are going to look like and how they will ultimately blend in with the look and feel of the rest of the home. Stairs can be contemporary or traditional, simple or elaborate, or anything in-between, and utilizing prefabricated stair parts makes it possible to create a beautiful stairway in any home.
Following rough construction of the stairs, you will be covering the treads and risers with the finish material, as well as constructing a railing system. For a coordinated look, begin by obtaining a stair parts catalog from one of the parts manufacturers and decide what style of stairway and what species of wood you like best. Catalogs are readily available through most lumberyards and home centers, as well as through some door and window retailers.
Actual construction begins with the installation of the finished stringer-usually a 1-by-10 or 1-by-12-which is installed along any walls that enclose the stairway. Depending on the design of the stairway, this can be either paint-grade or stain-grade lumber.
Next, riser material is cut to size and installed. Cut each piece for a snug fit, and install them so that the top of the riser is exactly flush with the top of the stringer notch. Cut and install the treads after the risers, again concentrating on a clean fit between the finished stringers and a good line against the riser.
The material you select for the treads and risers depends on the finished floor covering. If the stairs will be carpeted, 3/4-inch plywood treads are common, secured with glue and 6d or 8d nails, or with screws. If the stairs are to be left exposed, select a clear hardwood or rugged softwood for both the treads and the risers-oak, cherry, and clear fir are common choices. Attach the pieces with glue and finish nails.
For a traditional look, you might want to consider carpeting the center portion of the stairway. After installing the rough 3/4-inch plywood treads and risers, install 6- to 8-inch-wide finished treads and risers at each side of the stairs, leaving the center portion of the stairway open for the carpeting. The thickness of the carpet and pad will bring the top of the carpet flush with the top of the treads on each side of it.
To enclose the open sides of the stairway, you will need to construct a railing, which includes a number of different parts you can select from the stair parts catalog. You will find newel posts (the large posts used to anchor the railing at each end and at changes of direction); balusters (the smaller upright spindles); plus handrails and other related stair parts and accessories. Most catalogs will guide you through the process of selecting parts that coordinate with one another.
In addition to different styles, you will also have a couple of choices of materials. If the wood will be stained, oak, maple or cherry are common woods for traditional stair railing systems, and fir is probably the most common for more contemporary railings. If all or part of the railing will be painted, hemlock or other species are available, which cost less and paint better than most hardwoods. You can also use a combination of materials, such as an oak handrail and oak treads combined with painted hemlock balusters.
Installation begins with the newel posts, which are the anchors for the entire system. The posts are installed on the bottom step - called the starting step - as well as at the top landing and any intermediate landings, and are anchored with bolts. The bolts must be long enough to securely anchor the posts to solid framing, and can be either a nut and bolt or a lag bolts. Matching wood caps are used to cover the bolt heads.
On top of the newel post, use a wooden fitting called a starting easement, which caps off the post and provides a transition to the handrail. A variety of different sizes and styles of starting easement are available to match the overall look of the stair railing and the style of the handrail. A similar fitting is used on the intermediate newel posts, then the handrail is attached between these fittings. Installing the balusters between the top of the treads and the underside of the handrail is the final step.
Cutting the various parts on the correct angle and then fastening them together with special concealed bolts requires time and patience. When you purchase your stair parts you will receive a comprehensive booklet of instructions, which describes the entire measuring, cutting and assemble process in detail. Also, prior to beginning any stair assembly be sure to check with your local building department to ensure that your intended design complies with all local building codes.
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